Believe In Me
by Equuleus86
Summary: The morning after Glenn and Maggie's wedding, Carol wakes up with more than just a lousy hangover to deal with. Daryl has a lot of thinking to do after an evening that will change everything for the both of them.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Okay folks, this here is my very first attempt at any kind of fiction. I'm both excited and nervy as hell to be posting it! I've been reading everyone else's amazing work and it's inspired me to have a go myself. This started off as a kind of light hearted, funny thing and ended up as something completely different. I hope you like it, reviews welcome! I should mention it is sort of AU - some characters from the show that died are still alive for no reason other than I said so and GIRL POWER! This chapter contains a personal fetish of mine and also some scenes are flashbacks. You'll know them when you see them... Hopefully. **

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own The Walking Dead, any of it's characters, or any of the songs mentioned or referred to in this story. I do mourn for all the pennies I would have if I did though...**

Chapter 1

The first thing Carol became aware of was the dryness in her throat as sleep began to recede. The morning began to creep into her cell, as did a tight throbbing in her head.

"Urrrgh no…" she groaned, burying her face in her pillow. Her mouth began to water ominously. She felt her stomach lurch and tried to swallow back the impending reflux of one too many vodkas. Too late.

She scrambled out of bed and launched herself at the bin in the corner of her cell. _Well done Carol, staying classy even in the apocalypse… _Gripping the sides of the metal bin she retched and winced as acid burned her throat and nose, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her gagging and gasping echoed into the cellblock, empty all except for Rick, who she could hear laughing under his breath. She was too ill to be embarrassed, she'd save that little delight for later, if she ever surfaced from her own personal hell.

Carol slumped to the ground, leaning on the bin and wiped her wet face with her hand. How had she gotten from a sip of wine to cuddling a bin, face covered in snot and eyes like a panda? Her head hurt so bad and the spinning made her stomach heave. Drinking had never made her this ill in her life, and as she heaved her guts into the bin again, she made a mental note never to drink again.

Taking Michonne up on her challenge of multiple shots was a bad idea, she knew that now. She'd known at the time the only outcome would be acid reflux and a morning spent hugging a toilet bowl (if she made it that far) but it had been too long since they'd had any semblance of fun. Caution was thrown well and truly to the wind and they had all had a few drinks. Rick and Hershel had taken on the role of sensible adults, watching with smiles as the party animals had gotten more and more rowdy, knowing that the morning would bring a few sore heads.

It had all been fun and games last night but now oh boy was she paying for it. This was the worst hangover she'd ever had. She decided rather than crawling back into bed to suffer that some cool Georgia morning air might help. Summoning all her strength she hauled herself up from the floor and pulled the liner out of the bin. She grimaced at the contents and felt her stomach bunch as she tied a knot in the bag.

Sunlight pierced her delicate vision as she emerged from her cell to find a very amused Rick busying himself with Judith. Her head swam. Carol waited for her vision to adjust and hurried past him hoping he would just leave her to her misery, but of course that would be no fun at all.

"Ouch," he grinned, "You could pass for a walker. You look like shit."

"Thanks. I feel like one. How's Lori?"

A loud yakking from their cell answered her question.

"Glad I'm not the only one who feels lousy," she groaned, rubbing her forehead.

"Michonne and Andrea were up half an hour ago fresh as daisies." _Damn I really hate those two_. "Michonne put you to bed when you crashed."

"I passed out?!" Carol threw a hand up to her head and winced.

"You did… after your little scene," he teased.

Carol's face dropped and her heart started to pound, vibrating right up through her sore head. _Oh God, what did you do last night?_

_xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox_

It had been a beautiful day, more like the days before the turn. Nobody had ventured outside of the prison fences, and all the gates were firmly locked. In the yard the stage was all set for Glenn and Maggie's wedding. Recent runs had yielded a cornucopia of odds and ends that now decorated the scene. A beautiful white trellis archway which had been decorated with twinkle lights and flowers from the surrounding woodland, took pride of place. The chairs were nothing fancy; they'd gathered them from the prison cafeteria and laid them outside in rows. There weren't that many people to fill them but it seemed appropriate to arrange them for absent friends.

Among the findings were a generator and a CD player. There had been no CDs to play on it and it had sat in Carl's cell until Michonne returned one day with a thick stash of comics for Carl and a rucksack full of CDs. Some of them had no cases and there was no way to tell what was on them except to play them. Whoever they had belonged to was a big country fan. Dolly Parton, Hank Williams and Patsy Cline right up to more modern day artists like Lady Antebellum and Tim McGraw. Carol and Beth had pounced on the collection as soon as they realised. They were huge country fans and talked at length about their favourite artists. Beth was always singing and it was usually some haunting country melody that could be heard echoing through the hallways.

The morning of the wedding there was a buzz of excitement in the air as the girls helped Maggie get ready. They had gone on a run lead by Michonne two weeks before to find a dress and hit the jackpot when they came across a bridal boutique in a small cul-de-sac of stores. Maggie couldn't believe her luck. The owner had left the door unlocked, so there was no risk of attracting walkers by breaking the window. They swept the small boutique anyway and luckily it had been clear. Maggie tried on two dresses before settling on the third. It was a beautiful ivory strapless satin gown with a simple synched in waist and flowing floor length skirt. The diamante sprinkled ruching on the waist and across her middle flattered her svelte figure. She smoothed her hands over the cool fabric, twirling from side to side in the mirror and a beaming smile lit up her face. "I love it!" she'd squealed. Andrea, Michonne and Carol had set about picking out shoes, underwear and hair accessories, whilst Beth and Lori helped her out of the dress. Despite her slender frame it had been a feat of engineering getting into the dress and getting out wasn't much easier.

The run went without a hitch for a pleasant change, and the group headed back to their home content and buzzing with their findings. The others had chosen dresses too, none matching of course, but it was a bit of a makeshift affair. When they'd arrived back Glenn was naturally curious to see what they had found, if anything. He got short shrift from Maggie's entourage who clucked around her protectively until the dress was safely hidden.

Now the day was finally here and as the sun began to climb in the sky, Maggie's excited wedding high was turning her legs to jelly and her bowels to water as her wedding posse cleared out except Carol.

"So… How ya doing?" Carol straightened out the material on Maggie's veil.

"I'm shittin' bricks Carol," she mewled, shuffling from foot to foot uncomfortably. "What if I fall off these damn shoes? What if he doesn't show? What if I need to go to the bathroom?"

Carol chuckled and gave Maggie's arm a reassuring squeeze. "You'll be fine sweetie. Beth will prop you up and Glenn definitely isn't going anywhere, not with Daryl as his best man."

"I guess not. I do however have to go to the bathroom as of five minutes ago." She gave Carol a desperate look.

"Oh no… right, wait here 'til I check if the coast is clear."

Carol peeked out of Glenn and Maggie's cell and was startled as Daryl trudged around the corner. Her breath caught as she took in the sight of him. He'd had a shower but his hair was still delightfully mussed up. The piece de resistance however was the ensemble he was wearing. She'd never seen him look so spellbinding. He took her breath away on a daily basis anyway, but she was finding it hard to keep her jaw off the floor. He looked glorious in a black shirt with a lace up front, undone in typical Daryl Dixon fashion, exposing the top of a very nice chest, Carol noted. Her eyes travelled downwards to the knockout punch which would not register at first. Daryl Dixon - in a KILT. The deep green and blue pattern with sharp streaks of bright red cutting through the squares danced in her vision as he strode towards her. And those legs! She had only ever seen his knees jutting out of the rips in his trousers but this was full frontal leg action and she had to admit, she was a more than a little turned on. Below the knee he wore long black socks adorned with a matching tartan ribbon. In place of a traditional Sgian Dubh, Daryl's own knife was tucked into the top of his sock.

"What?" He stopped in front of her, studying her expression.

"Wow," she smiled, not knowing where to look but finally meeting his eyes.

"Stop," he muttered. "Glenn and his damn bright ideas. Fuckin' thing's itchin' like hell."

"I think you look…" Carol looked him up and down, trying to find a word that would do him justice, knowing such a word clearly did not exist.

"Like an ass is how I look." Daryl huffed.

"I was going to say… you look very handsome." She smiled shyly at him.

"Pfft," he smirked, shooting her a half smile.

"What?" she smiled back. "Can't a girl admire a nicely turned out pair of legs?"

Daryl felt a heat high on his cheeks and smirked. He wasn't used to taking compliments and furthermore he hated it. When Carol paid him a compliment though, he always felt a blush creep into his cheeks that never surfaced with anyone else. It made him want to run off and take watch or skin the catches from the snares, or do anything that would get him miles away from her and her teasing blue eyes. She knew how to rile him and she knew he knew it too. He always felt like she was teasing, her eyes dancing with a distinct mischievous undertone. It seemed to make it worse that she knew she could make him blush just by saying something nice; sometimes she didn't even have to say anything, just the briefest glance or smile at him and he felt his cheeks colour up.

Just like they were now.

"I gotta go, Glenn's waitin'." With that Daryl made his escape, his shoulders dropping noticeably as he let out a deep breath.

Carol looked after him, shamelessly eyeing his rear end and giggled. As he disappeared around the corner she smiled before remembering why she'd come out.

"Carol? This dress is gonna be a wetsuit if we don't get me to the bathroom!"

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Beth hurried out into the yard and gave Hershel a thumbs up and an excited nod. Hershel gave a nod towards Lori who cued up the first track on the CD player.

Beth opened the door and stepped out into the sunshine, and as a surprisingly rocky song began to fill the courtyard her sister emerged into the daylight.

_'This time, I wonder what it feels like_

_To find the one in this life_

_The one we all dream of_

_But dreams just aren't enough_

_So I'll be waiting for the real thing_

_I'll know it by the feeling_

_The moment when we're meeting_

_Will play out like a scene_

_Straight off the silver screen_

_So I'll be holding my breath_

_Right up to the end_

_Until that moment when_

_I find the one that I'll spend forever with...'_

Maggie smiled at Glenn who was shaking his head and giving her a megawatt smile. Her eyes grew wide like saucers as she took in his attire. It was the very same as Daryl's with the exception of his shirt and socks which were a crisp white, blinding in the midday sun. She greeted him with an impromptu kiss. He whispered something in her ear and she drew back in surprise, her delighted eyes bright and glassy. Beth gave her sister away and moved to the side, taking the bride's bouquet as she turned to face her man. Hershel presided between the couple and to Glenn's right stood his best man.

Daryl felt like a prize ass standing there in a skirt. _Thank fuck Merle can't see me now_. He just wanted this damn ceremony to be over so he could take off his barbed wire/camel crotch hair blend socks and scratch his legs into oblivion. It didn't help matters that he had gone commando and the woollen torture chamber around his waist was rubbing him up something awful. He made a mental note to thank Glenn with a boot up his dumb ass.

He glanced over at where Carol sat with Lori, Carl and Rick. He had to hand it to her, she looked beautiful. More than beautiful actually, she looked incredible. Her dress was understated yet elegant. A simple straight neckline just above the rise of her chest pulled into a halter neck and made her look more blessed in the rack department than he'd thought. Of course he _never_ stared and never had to look away suddenly when she caught him. The deep crimson dress sat snugly around her waist and swathes of cool satin billowed down to just below her knees. Her legs looked especially long and delicate and he noticed the heels she was wearing. His chest tightened. He swallowed and felt his cheeks start to burn. _Get a hold of yourself, Dixon_.

Carol turned, as if she'd heard him think out loud and met his eyes with a smile. Daryl landed back in the present and realised he'd been staring. He quickly averted his gaze back to the matter in hand and willed his shame away as Hershel began to speak.

'We're gathered here in the sight of God to witness the joining of these two young people...'


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Well here is Chapter 2! Just in time for tonight's episode. I'm absolutely blown away by the response I've had to chapter 1! The fact that even one person read it let alone favourited, followed or reviewed is just amazing so thank you so so much it really means a lot to me. I had a ball writing this story and I've been well and truly bitten by the writing bug! Story number 2 is already in the works. **

**Please note this story is sort of AU - some of the characters that are dead in the show are alive and well in my story. Also the writing is a bit haphazard in the first couple of chapters cause well, I am totally new to this writing lark! It does get better though... I think!**

**I didn't mention it in part 1 I don't think, but this story would NOT exist without the help of the amazing Emily (kaoscraze). She helped me out so much she doesn't even realise! She also happens to be an AMAZING writer and you should check her stories out. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Walking Dead, any of its characters, yada yada. All shizzle belongs to its rightful owners.**

Chapter 2

"Wow. You look… disgusting," Michonne stated the obvious, sporting a sunny smile.

"I know. I'm still not sure if I'm done throwing up actually." Carol screwed her face up and tried to sit up straight, knowing she definitely wasn't done driving the porcelain truck.

"Hardly surprising," Andrea chimed in, "you drank everybody under the table. Last I saw before I went to bed you were cracking open that bottle of malt."

"Malt?! Are you kidding me?"

"Oh come on you don't remember?!" Andrea laughed.

"Actually I don't remember a whole lot. I remember the wedding, I remember dinner and some of dancing, the odd drink. It's all a blur. Why didn't someone stop me?!"

"Many tried," Michonne smiled, "and failed miserably."

The morning sun was starting to peek out from behind the clouds, bathing the prison courtyard in a welcome gentle glow of heat. Carol had found Michonne and Andrea sitting at the picnic bench nibbling on some leftovers from the wedding and discussing the night's revelry. She felt even queasier at the sight of the food and willed her guts to settle as she slid in beside Andrea on the bench. _Great, the world ends and it's the booze that finishes you off. _ It unnerved her the way their conversation died when they'd spotted her coming over. Now they were sitting chatting away like all was right with the world. Except she had this niggling feeling that everything was most definitely not alright.

'…_your little scene…'_

Rick's words kept bobbing up then disappearing again in her mind, her brain thrown into chaos by the horrendous dull pounding. She would remember their conversation and then wonder if she'd imagined it. She had no idea what day it was, or if it was her turn to take watch. Her eyes were tight and hot with the pain. Carol rubbed her sore eyes with the heel of her palms and lay her head down in her folded arms.

"Gee maybe you should take something, I'm worried you're actually gonna die from this," Andrea rubbed long soothing circles on Carol's back and pulled a sympathetic face.

"I welcome it," she groaned, her voice muffled. "Anything but this."

"We tried but you wouldn't be told," Michonne wiped the crumbs off her hands and stood up. "Right, we should make a move. You ready?"

"Sure just let me grab my bag." Andrea climbed out from the bench and turned to Carol. "You gonna be okay?"

"I would say I'll live but right now that remains to be seen. Where are you two off?"

"Girl business. Gonna clear out that pharmacy down by the dress place. You need anything?" Michonne adjusted her katana strap.

"I don't think tampons are gonna save me, unless I soak them in chloroform and jam them up my nose."

Michonne let out a loud cackle. "Now THAT might just work."

Andrea returned, shrugging her rucksack straps on. "Okay let's boost."

The duo turned to go get their car, striking up their hushed conversation again and Carol knew that something was definitely not right.

"Michonne!" Carol called, springing from the bench and striding as fast as she could down the path without disturbing her stomach too much.

Michonne tossed the keys to Andrea and spun on her heel. "Sup?"

"Last night, was I- did I, embarrass myself?" Carol screwed her face up.

Michonne avoided Carol's worried gaze, choosing to look at her feet instead. "Hmm," she mumbled. "You really don't remember."

Carol's stomach curled into a ball and she fought the urge to vomit again. She had to know but wasn't sure she wanted to hear any more. It was like eavesdropping and wishing you could un-hear the conversation. Even though she had no idea what she'd done she knew it couldn't be good if it was the hot topic of conversation that nobody wanted to divulge.

She was about to dig further when his footsteps crunched behind her. Heavy, cold footsteps that she knew did not belong to a happy person. _Urge to vomit increasing…_

Michonne's expression as she looked towards the source of the crunching filled Carol with dread. She spun round and found Daryl tromping down towards them, his eyes repelling against her, the storm behind them turning dazzling blue into steely grey.

He trudged past them without a word, his crossbow banging lazily on his back as he took big powerful strides. He was heading for his bike.

Carol looked disconcertedly at Michonne. "What's the matter with him?"

"Maybe you should go talk to him." Michonne bit her bottom lip and gave her a sympathetic half smile.

Carol watched as the girls drove away and turned her attention to the huffy redneck readying his motorbike. He looked real wound up. She hadn't seen him this riled since the night on Hershel's farm.

'_You ain't ma problem! I don't want you here!' _

The words still stung her heart. She and Daryl had come a long way from that night but those words, she could still hear them ring in her ears. When they echoed in her mind she could feel herself momentarily revert to her former self. _Carol Peletier: weakling, burden and in the way. _She didn't know why, but as she watched Daryl she could feel her resolve wilting. Suddenly she felt like Pandora. She had taken the box and peeked at the contents but now she wanted to throw the box to the sea and forget it had ever existed. There was no escaping this catastrophe. She was hurtling towards it on a terrible collision course.

She started towards him as he kicked his motorbike into life. The roar cut through her headache and made her stomach lurch. He didn't cast a glance in her direction as the tyres crunched down the path to the gate where Rick and Carl were waiting to let him through. A pang of desperation clawed at her gut and she felt hot tears pricking her already throbbing eyes. She doubled over and heaved for the third time.

_xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox_

"Okay girls I'm gonna throw it! Ready? 3, 2, 1!"

Girly high pitched shrieks filled the afternoon air as Maggie Rhee-Greene lobbed her bouquet over her head and Carol emerged from the wild clamour holding the flowers aloft.

"Looks like I'm next ladies," she gave an apologetic shrug and smiled.

"Yeah, we just gotta hook you up with a handsome guy of your own!" Maggie beamed, raising her eyebrows as she looked far over Carol's shoulder.

Carol turned, following Maggie's line of sight to find Daryl in conversation with Rick, Lori, Hershel and Glenn. His eyes flicked to her, darting back to Hershel when he realised she was staring. He was trying his damnedest not to look at her, his cheeks starting to warm up. He had to look again, he was being drawn like a moth to a flame and not knowing what else to do, he gave her one of his corner-of-mouth smiles.

"Daryl and I are just friends, Maggie," she protested.

"Oh yeah totally friends," Andrea butted in. "When you're not looking, I check your ass out too."

"I do NOT check his ass out!" Carol wailed a little too loudly.

"I was talking about him but now you mention it, I have seen a little ass ogling going on in Camp Carol," Andrea teased.

"I have to agree with my colleagues here," said Michonne. "You stand accused of ass ogling. How do you plead?"

"I-"

"Jury finds you guilty." Michonne cut her off, and the others giggled.

Carol shook her head and gave in to the giggling. "You're all terrible you do know that?"

"Yeah well at least we're not pervs. I wish you two would just get a room and do the bad thing," Maggie sighed. "You could cut the air with a knife around y'all, all that pent up sexual tension. It's not healthy."

"Well we can't all be humping in the watch tower from dusk 'til dawn," Michonne grinned, raising an eyebrow at the bride.

"Hey that's our honeymoon suite!" Maggie tutted. "All I'm saying is they need to get a move on and stop all this cat and mouse stuff."

"Maggie he's just a friend!" Carol protested again. "He doesn't see me as anything but."

"Oh please," Andrea rolled her eyes, "I think I speak for us all when I call bullshit. I have seen the way this man looks at you. I think if he looked at me like that even I would have a hard time saying no."

"Yep," Michonne took a swig from her glass of champagne, "he can't take his eyes off you… The only time he does is when you catch him staring."

Carol sighed and rolled her eyes dismissively as she swilled the remnants of her own glass around before downing it.

"Just like he's staring now," Maggie said quietly.

"He is?" Carol asked, feeling a little lightheaded.

"You know he is." Michonne raised an eyebrow. "Now will you quit being a wimp and go talk to him!"

"And say what?!" Carol demanded.

"Oh hell how should I know? Here, how about 'I love you, you love me, let's do the bad thing and have a happy ever after? That oughta work." Michonne spun her round and propelled her forward with one hand.

Carol looked back at her three friends in desperation, mouthing pleading phrases at them. _Great, so now what? _She had already walked too far to be able to walk back without looking odd. She turned around and walked towards him.

He was alone now, swilling the dregs of his beer around in the bottle as he sat in one of the empty chairs in the courtyard. As she took in the sight of him, his hair bathed in glorious sunlight, her heart fluttered. He wasn't just handsome. He was _beautiful._ He'd seen her coming and took the cue to dip his head and hope she wouldn't see him behind his curtain of overgrown dark hair. His luck was out.

"This seat taken?" she spoke softly.

"Yeah I got a hot date meeting me here in twenty minutes." He squinted up at her.

When Carol didn't reply he glanced up at her and the two of them snorted a little laugh. Daryl's head dipped lazily. Why could he not bring himself to meet her eyes? Two bright pools of shimmering blue that seemed to ignite his soul. Every time he tried it was like putting his hand to a flame and he had to pull away suddenly. He was afraid. He'd never felt this way about anyone; he'd never _felt, _and that terrified him. He didn't know how to deal with this shit.

"It's a beautiful day…"

"Yeah," Daryl looked towards the wedding party. "As good a day as any to sign your life away." His eyes fell to his beer bottle.

"Don't be mean," she nudged him, grinning. "I think it's sweet. They're made for each other."

"Pfft," he snorted, "don't tell me you believe in all that love at first sight crap."

"Why, don't you?" Carol looked at him inquisitively.

"Don't think I know what love is," he said, his voice low and gravelly.

"Aw come on don't tell me you've never been in love?"

"I dunno." Daryl could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks. "I've never been good at the whole romance thing…"

Carol felt a pang of sympathy for the shy scruff of a man beside her, his eyes fixed on his bottle. She knew this was difficult for him. He wasn't used to talking about _feelings. _It had taken him long enough to accept that he was part of a family now, and she suddenly felt selfish for pushing him. She was always pushing him that little bit further. A flirty comment here, a wink there. This was really testing his comfort zone, as the burn on his cheeks would testify. She felt guilty to push him any further but a niggly feeling in her heart made her want to. He was rough around the edges but she was convinced that inside there was another Daryl Dixon… and she was going to find him.

"Well looks like you've been stood up," she teased.

"Damn, again? I'm never gonna catch a break!" Daryl shot her a quick glance and they both let out a soft laugh.

Carol eyed him cautiously before speaking again, wondering whether she should say the words. "Her loss. Tell you what… how about I fill in for her?"

"Huh?"

"If you want me to… I could be your date. For the wedding, that is," she stuttered, wanting to offer him some sort of reassurance that it wasn't anything heavy.

He looked back to his bottle, picking at the label, his eyes narrowing as the cogs turned in his head. "Okay."

Carol took a moment to register his reply. "Only if you want, I mean of course if you'd rather-"

"Carol," he cut her off. "I said okay. You can be my date."

Carol smiled and felt a little flutter in her stomach. She knew it was entirely possible he only saw this as appeasement but the day was young and the night full of possibilities.

"Just don't be tryin' nothin'. M'date will be pissed as hell if she shows up…"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Well my lovelies here is Chapter 3. Firstly thanks once again to any of you lovely bunch who have followed, favourited or reviewed. Reviews aren't essential but they make my wee face light up like a Christmas Tree ;) I have to say, I really loved writing the scenes in these next few chapters. I know the first half of this chapter is mostly conversation but hey, it's a wedding and what else do people do before the dancing starts? Haha. Anyway, the second half makes up for it with hardly any conversation at all. Again this jumps back and forth in time but you smart cookies will work that out for yourselves. Location wise if you read this and think 'did she just google a map of Georgia and the surrounding area?' well then you would be spot on! I don't do geography so don't shoot me if you live in this area and it's not as described here! Anyway... as you were...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Walking Dead or any of its characters... although I would love to own a certain dirty redneck...**

Chapter 3

"For the millionth time I'm just his wedding date!"

Carol pushed her food around on her plate with her fork, wondering what she had done to acquire such nosey friends. They'd sat down to an enchanting albeit limited wedding feast and Daryl hadn't been out of his seat for even a minute when the third degree had started. The small picnic benches which had been pushed together offered no respite from the gossiping.

"Mmhmm," Michonne hummed. "Just a date. Lori?"

"Oh I'm not getting involved!" Lori pried her eyes away from bouncing Judith on her knee.

"Oh come on, don't you see he's smitten? It's all the guy can do not to light up like a Christmas tree when you look at him. It's getting embarrassing."

"Oh hell, here he comes. Don't you dare say anything!" Carol warned.

Daryl slid in beside Carol, slipping her a freshly filled glass of wine. She accepted it with a smile and glared at Michonne who seemed fascinated and far too amused with Daryl's awkward demeanour. He was looking around uneasily and seemed hugely relieved when Glenn and Rick returned to their seats.

"I have to say, Hershel is a grade A bartender," Glenn grinned, taking a long pull of beer.

"Yeah, I've been meaning to ask where all the booze came from?" Andrea took a drink from her own bottle. "There's enough here to blow up Georgia."

"We found a few bars, cleaned 'em out," Rick explained, taking Judith to give Lori's arms a break. "Couple small seven elevens too. Found a real nice bottle of malt."

"Oh God, well none for me!" Glenn cringed.

"Yeah," Daryl smirked, "we know y'all can't handle the hard stuff."

Glenn smiled and covered his face with his hands. "Yeah that wasn't my finest hour."

Carol was relieved the tension was starting to dissipate and felt herself relax as a content warmth from the rose wine spread through her body. She noticed Daryl was starting to loosen up too. Chatter was good, even if they were just rehashing the past; it kept the focus off the two of them.

"So I have to ask, where on earth did the kilts come from?" Carol looked at Glenn, curious and secretly thankful to whoever had such a brilliant idea.

"Well that's actually a funny story," Glenn looked down the table at Rick. "We found this menswear store and I saw these kilts. Rick said I should get one and leave it for Maggie to find as a joke, but when I looked at the label I realised it was actually Greene tartan. It was just too creepy a sign to ignore so we picked a couple up."

"No way!" Andrea gasped. "That's just freaky!"

"Yeah, I didn't realise they itched like hell though," Glenn took another quick swig.

"Yeah I been meanin' to pull ya on that," Daryl grunted, "feels like I'm bein' eaten alive by this damn thing."

"Sorry man," Glenn winced, "it's only for one night."

"Yeah, just remember you owe me."

Maggie and Beth swept into their seats, arms linked and enjoying a sisterly giggle.

"Hey Beth you look beautiful!" Carol smiled.

"Oh thanks," Beth blushed, sweeping a wayward strand of blonde behind her ear. "This corset is pinching me so much though."

"We were just talking about kilts," Andrea leaned over to Maggie.

"Oh yeah," Maggie grinned. "Greene tartan, can ya believe it?"

"The kilt might be Greene but the skin underneath ain't," Daryl snorted.

"Well if I remember rightly," she sipped her glass, "Carol has some aloe vera in her first aid kit. You could take a look couldn't ya Carol?"

_Shut up shut up shut up! _Carol's eyes widened in horror at her friend who was smiling stupidly at her. She shot a glance at Daryl, who true to form had gone quite red. Thankfully his beer was empty.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Carol hissed after he got up, trying to keep her voice down so the others wouldn't hear.

"I'm giving you two a nudge!" she hissed back.

"We don't need nudging! We're just FRIENDS!"

"The sooner you both accept that's a big fat lie the better."

"He doesn't see me that way," Carol huffed, resignation creeping in.

"He does," Maggie insisted, grabbing Carol's hand. "And I know you do too. Carol everyone else sees it, why don't you?"

"We're too different, what would he want with me?"

"That's the thing though," Maggie sighed, "you're not that different. You're opposite sides of the same coin. You two belong together."

Carol turned her head to see Daryl returning with a beer and another filled glass. _Damn you girl, why are you always right? _

_xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox_

The low roar of the motorbike cut through the quiet Georgia morning as Daryl gunned it hell for leather along the road. His head was pounding, and the rumble from the bike that had been his brother's pride and joy certainly wasn't helping.

He didn't care. He was out of there. The dawn had brought with it a lousy hangover, followed by the memory of what had happened. _GODDAMMIT!_ He'd seen them before he'd left, in their little bitch coven, probably flaying his dumb redneck ass behind his back. Daryl hadn't known where he was headed as he skulked past them like a wounded animal, but anywhere away from them, away from _her_, seemed good enough to him. She'd been watching him; he'd felt her eyes boring holes in his back, but he'd blanked her and did what wounded animals do. He ran away.

Without any clue where he was going or what he was gonna do when he got there, Daryl followed the road for as long as his backside had feeling in it. The wind ripped at his hair as he rode and clawed tears from his eyes. He couldn't shake the cloud hanging hanging over his head. The swirling pit of anger and hurt in his stomach wouldn't let up and replaying the night's events on a loop in his mind was making him dizzy. He had to find a place to stop before he wrapped Merle's bike around a tree. As fortune had it, he had just passed signs for Peachtree City.

Daryl passed by Peachtree City Falcon Field and followed the long road that eventually led him to Lake Peachtree. He took a small side road that led into a street which oddly enough had just one house on it. That said, the house was like something straight out of Beverly Hills. Tall scarlet and southern red oaks towered over the large country house and its rolling expanse of lawn must have been an acre in size, possibly two. A large water feature depicting Venus at her bath occupied the front lawn, which lay overgrown and yellow, the grass seared to death by the blazing sun. The house itself towered over him as the bike puttered to a halt in front of the wide stone staircase. It was gargantuan. Two enormous stone lions on either side of the steps guarded the front of the white residence. He readied his crossbow as he ascended the stairs. A rocking chair creaked lazily in the breeze on the front porch causing him to flinch slightly. He snorted at himself. _Damn chair. _

Daryl tried the door knob. It gave with a click and he carefully pushed it open. He listened for a moment for the shuffle of undead feet or ragged rotten breaths. _Nothin__'__._

He proceeded cautiously into the vast and empty hallway. A long patterned rug trailed the length of the polished marble floor and ended between two long sweeping staircases, one on each side of the room. They both reached around like arms holding up the landing. There were four doors that Daryl could see on the landing, and a large skylight drenched parts of the hall in sunlight. Countless photos lined the walls on the ascent of the staircases.

Downstairs there was a large open plan kitchen and living area. He decided to sweep this area first. The living room was a sprawling, luxuriant space., and the open fire place still had logs in it which hadn't been lit. On the mantle and the walls there were numerous photos. A handsome dark haired man with a pretty blonde on his back on a beach in his bare feet. The same dark haired man in military dress, another of him covered in camouflage, face smeared with green and brown streaks, clutching a rifle. There were also a number of photos of a little girl. Smiling on horseback,; at the beach with her arms around her mother, and right at the end of the mantle, a photo taken in the garden with her mother, father and a golden retriever. It was in a frame patterned with daisies that spelled out the word 'FAMILY'. He felt his stomach knot up and scowled at the photo. As he stared at it he noticed that the little girl bore a striking resemblance to Sophia.

"_You couldn__'__t find my Sophia.__"_

His heart sank as he remembered the girl he'd tore the woods apart for, searching every conceivable hiding place in the hope he'd find something. He was so agonisingly close and when he found her doll he was convinced she would turn up… and she did. When she'd come shuffling out of that barn in a corpses shell his goddamn heart had shattered into a million shards. He'd been chasing a ghost through the forest. Then Carol had sprinted forward and he'd grabbed her.

_Carol. _He'd never been able to rid himself of the failure he'd felt at not finding her little girl. After that he'd withdrawn from the group, blaming himself and she was forever pestering the hell out of him, always checking up on him, trying to make him 'part of the family'. Daryl knew he was part of the family to a certain extent. He kept everyone fed, helped out any way he could, but he still kept a comfortable distance. Now it was clear as day to him that keeping his distance had stuck him right in the shit. He'd fought his growing feelings and kept her at arm's length and now she hated him. Even worse than that, she thought he was a failure. The only thing that had made him want to get up every morning since losing Sophia was knowing he still had Carol. He knew that she believed in him and knew he'd done all that he could. Now he didn't even have that. He swallowed hard and swiped at his eyes with his palms.

He ventured into the homely country kitchen to scavenge for supplies. Light poured in through the patio doors which led out to a very spacious back garden.

Daryl raided the cupboards and found a ridiculous amount of food considering how long it had been since the turn. Unopened packets of pasta shapes, flour, bags of potato chips, packets of jerky, cans of long life milk. _Never liked that shit. _Tins of dog food and a bag of dry biscuits sat on the worktop with a note.

"_One cup and a half tin in the morning and at night. If you run out of food I__'__ve left $$$ under the fruit bowl x __x__"_

He swept what he could into his battered rucksack and thought better of opening the fridge. If the cupboards were still brimming then hell knew what was lurking in the fridge.

He decided to sweep the other rooms in the house. It only took 2 more rooms for him to do a u-turn on that decision as more pictures of the little girl stared at him from the walls, her eyes following him. He felt sick and hot. He had to get out of there.

Daryl trudged back through the pristine kitchen, his breathing heavy as he tried to shake the ghostly eyes from his mind and tried the patio door. The back garden sprawled off into the trees and more water features decorated the dead lawn. Daryl followed a path through the trees and came to a small jetty. Lake Peachtree was a popular tourist spot back when people didn't eat each other and there were power boats tied to jetties up and down the lake. He immediately thought of the only time he and Merle had gone fishing in a boat and he'd ended up in water up to his neck with eels slipping around his ankles. Merle had laughed so hard he'd been sick over the side. Daryl smirked and sat on the edge of the jetty, his feet dangling over the side. He reached down and pulled off his boots and socks and slipped his hot, tired feet into the cool water. It lapped at his aching soles and he dipped his head in blissful relief, his mind clearing for a little while.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: For your viewing pleasure, here is Chapter 4 of this little yarn. This one is very back and forth in time but you should have guessed by now what parts are when... if that makes sense? I've tried my hardest to keep everyone in character but sometimes for the sake of the story people might seem a bit OOC. I've tried to avoid it with our two babies though. This is the build up to why Daryl is mad and why Carol feels like a complete baddie. There's a wee surprise in this chapter and I hope you love it as much as I loved writing it. Also I may have cried a wee bit feeling sorry for a certain someone... **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, nowt, zip related to The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I also do not own the amazing song lyrics featured. **

Chapter 4

Carol steeled herself and let out a deep breath, not realising she'd been holding it. _Come on, it__'__s now or never. _She smoothed down the fabric of her dress and started towards where Daryl was sitting. He was alone at one of the tables, and Carol thanked the Lord. This was going to be uncomfortable enough without an audience. Her mind was made up though. It really was now or never.

"Hey," she smiled at him.

"Hey, sup?"

"Okay so since I'm your date for the wedding and all…"

"Yeah."

"…I just wondered if you would dance with me?" Carol bit her bottom lip.

Daryl looked up at her suddenly, surprised by her question. "I can't dance," he muttered. "I mean, I don't dance."

"Neither can I," she coaxed. "Come on, it's just two friends having a dance at a wedding."

"Friends, yeah."

"So is that a yes then?" She grinned triumphantly.

"I guess I ain't gonna get peace otherwise."

"Okay well I'll look forward to it."

Daryl watched as Carol turned and disappeared off to find Maggie. This was not going to end well. _Fuckin__'__ dancing?! _His stomach turned over at the thought of everyone looking at them, but even moreso when he realised dancing meant _touching , _and touching often meant _looking. _Her eyes, right there in front of his, searing his cheeks; her warm breath on his exposed chest; her head resting on him; her soft body pressed up against his. _Aww you goddamn idiot, Dixon._

_xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox_

He wasn't sure how long he had been sitting with his feet in the water but Daryl knew he should probably head back. Then it all came rushing back. _FUCK. _

The rustling from behind him pulled him out of his dark sulk and he was instantly on high alert. It suddenly stopped and he quickly put his socks and boots back on. His crossbow was aimed straight into some kudzu vines that had wound their way in between the trees and he aimed until his arms got sore. _Nothin. Pfft._ He lowered the weapon and turned to walk back to where he'd left his bike and was halted in his tracks by a lively bark.

Daryl spun on his heel. A large golden retriever was standing a few feet behind him on the jetty, tail wagging and ears alert. The dog from the photo. The universe was taunting him; the girl in the photo, Carol's words in his head, the dog - he couldn't escape. No more than he could escape what had driven him here. His stomach lurched and he could feel tears of white hot anger brewing behind his eyes

The dog sensing Daryl's mood barked again and sat, looking at him inquisitively. "Damn dog," he growled, turning to leave.

The retriever barked a third time and let out a pitiful little whine before letting its tongue loll.

"Whaddaya want, huh?" Daryl turned and glared at the dog. "I ain't got nothin' so scram!"

The dog whined again and looked at Daryl with mournful brown eyes.

"I said beat it! Go on!"

At the hint of a raised voice the dog took off into the trees and disappeared from view. Daryl felt a small pang of guilt but he had bigger problems waiting for him back at the prison. _Last night. What the fuck are ya gonna do?_

He stormed back along the path and into the back garden. He kept his crossbow raised as he entered the house again. The kitchen was just as cold and empty as it had been earlier. He avoided the other rooms and the ghost in the photographs that followed him.

He opened the front door to find someone had beaten him to his bike. The retriever was lying beside the motorbike soaking up the last of the suns warm rays. It looked up and started pounding the crispy grass with its tail.

Daryl's patience was starting to wear thin and considering his current mood it couldn't afford to wear much thinner. 'Thought I told ya ta scram!' he yelled.

The retriever's tail whacked furiously on the ground at the sound of Daryl's voice and it sat up as he strode towards the bike.

"Get outta here man, I ain't got shit!" he swung his arm in the air. Then he remembered the dog food in the kitchen. Seconds later he reappeared with a tin of the food and ripped the lid off. He spooned it out in front of the dog and launched the tin into the bushes. It sniffed and contemplated the lumps of brown meat and jelly before laying back down, head between its front paws, apparently disgusted at the offering.

"I don't know what ya want!" he yelled, his throat constricting. "Why can't ya just leave me alone! I ain't got nothin', I ain't good for nothin' so just leave me be!"

Daryl thundered out back and down the path to the end of the jetty and threw himself down on the decking, resting his elbows on his knees. He buried his head in his arms and fought a tidal wave of raw hurt and self pity. His resolve wilted and he felt hot tears prickling his eyes. Daryl sniffed them away angrily.

"_I don't need you… no good for anything…"_

Her words stabbed him in the chest. He'd tortured himself enough over Sophia but to have her - the person who believed in him when no one else did - tell him he was nothing, it ripped his heart out. He hadn't cried since Merle had lurched towards him, putrid flesh dripping from his mouth and he'd put him down. They had been ugly, physically disabling sobs, sapping his energy until he had just lay down, not caring if he was set upon by the other walkers in the vicinity. The tears Daryl cried now were silent, interrupted only by intermittent sniffs. He felt utterly lost, for the first time since he was a child, like he didn't belong anywhere. He knew he was just feeling sorry for himself and he should man up but in that moment, he didn't want to. Daryl Dixon didn't get to cry, but right now he was going to do it until his river ran dry.

_xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox_

After much deliberation it had been decided that they would bring the festivities inside as night fell. Lori, Carol and Beth had brought chairs into C block and lit candles everywhere. The usually dingy cell block looked almost magical, and Beth had wasted no time in starting up the disco.

"Uh guys?" Beth called for hush. "I'd like to invite the bride and groom to take the floor for their first dance." She pressed play on the CD player and Kenny Rogers began to fill the cellblock.

Maggie blushed through a megawatt smile as Glenn pulled her to her feet and swept her to the dance floor. Everyone clapped as the newlyweds settled into their first dance. Maggie's dress swished around her ankles as Glenn swayed her softly around the floor.

"_But she believes in me_

_I__'__ll never know just what she sees in me__…"_

Michonne and Andrea looked at the couple then at each other making faces at how adorable they were. Beth joined her father on the floor, followed by Lori and Rick. Carol scanned the room for Daryl and found him absent. She'd half expected him to dodge the first dance. He needed time to warm to the idea.

The next few songs were very up tempo and naturally the now quite tipsy bridal party had made their way up to the dance floor. Michonne, Andrea, Carol, Lori, Maggie and Beth were all up, and the men looked on in disbelief and fear. They steered well clear of the wild shapes being thrown. It was ugly, until Run DMC's Tricky started up… then it got a whole lot uglier. The evening descended into chaos as a dance off between Michonne, Andrea and Maggie and Lori, Beth and Carol ensued. Wild whooping ricocheted around the block as each group finished and the other tried to better them. In the end Michonne's group triumphed, despite a valiant effort from Lori's team, who had a dynamo in Beth. Her modern dance moves were enthralling to watch, but Michonne and Andrea were old school and killed it.

The dance off ended and the next song began to play. As soon as the first few notes played Carol's eyes were drawn to Daryl.

"_There__'__s a towel on the bathroom door_

_A t-shirt in my dresser if you like__…"_

Carl danced with Judith, who lay snuggled into her brother's neck, slowly falling asleep. Rick and Lori, Michonne and Andrea, Glenn and Maggie and Hershel and Beth all took to the floor to dance. .

"So if I remember rightly, you promised me a dance?"

"I uh-" Daryl fidgeted in his seat.

"You said," she grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet. "Come on, you're the only one sitting down, and you've evaded me long enough tonight."

"_And I__'__ll go put the coffee on,_

_I__'__ll pour a cup for you if you got the time__…"_

Daryl reluctantly followed her up to dance. He didn't know where to put his hands or where the hell she was going to put hers. Carol laughed softly and placed his hand on her waist and held his other in her own. His heart was already hammering on his chest and his eyes couldn't come to rest anywhere in front of him. His face felt dangerously close to igniting in the intense heat of his discomfort.

"_All these years, we__'__ve been nothing but friends_

_And even though, we didn__'__t plan on this__…"_

Her eyes, her damn eyes were searching his out and he felt like a rabbit caught in headlights. He was relieved when she rested her head on his chest, only because it meant he didn't have to look into her painfully blue eyes.

"_Can last night last?_

_Or was it just too much red wine, or one too many lonely nights?_

_Can last night last?_

_Could this be the start of us, every morning wakin__'__ up_

_To your sleepy eyes, smiling back_

_Or is it just too soon to ask?__"_

Carol relaxed into his warm body, the wine and the soft swaying lulling her almost to the point of sleep. She breathed him in, allowing herself to dream for a moment that this was real and he felt the same way she did. She could have sworn that she felt him relax too and even pull her a little closer.

"_Here we are, somewhere between lovers and friends_

_Is this the end, or where it begins?__"_

Feeling emboldened by the wine and daring to hope against all hope, Carol drew back slowly and lifted her lashes to Daryl's warm eyes. The soft music and his even softer gaze made her head swim and she could feel the thrumming of butterfly wings in her stomach. She looked heatedly at him, her heartbeat pounding its way up through her head. His lips were so agonisingly close; his own ragged breaths tickling her skin. As she contemplated making the most rash decision of the evening, her current physical state betrayed her and her body wobbled like a house of cards.

"Whoa, you alright?" Daryl righted her. "Come on."

"No honestly I'm f-"

Daryl steadied her again, his hands firm on her waist. "Yeah, I thought so. Come on, let's get some air."

_xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox_

Carol found Maggie sitting up in bed reading a book and drinking a cup of tea. She looked none the worse for wear and Carol was instantly jealous. It was nearly noon and she still felt unable to function properly. She'd only just stopped being sick and the pounding in her head had faded a little, but the knot in her gut tightened with each minute that passed. And here was Maggie, looking refreshed and sipping tea.

"Still in bed? Lucky you." Carol sat beside her on the bed.

"Yeah," Maggie stretched happily. "Perks of being a newlywed. You look awful."

"I feel worse. Maggie what the hell happened last night?"

"I was gonna ask you the same," Maggie put down her book. "You disappeared with Daryl then came back covered in dirt and started necking shots of everything. Michonne had to put you to bed!"

"Yeah Rick told me. Where did I go with Daryl?"

"Guess he took you out for some air. You weren't doing so great so he took you and when you came back you'd been crying. You just kept saying you'd be fine on your own."

"Oh." _Shit. _The pieces started clicking together.

"_I__'__ll be fine on my own, I always have been. I don__'__t need you!__"_

Maggie shot her a puzzled look. "Oh? What?"

Carol sunk her face into her palms. "I think I might have said some things…"

"Like what?"

"Horrible things… about Sophia, about us."

"What kinda things?"

Carol looked at her friend with a pained expression.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Chapter 5 my loves! How are you all holding up? I'm trying my damnedest to stay off Tumblr etc just now because quite frankly it's making me ill in the run up to Sundays episode. All the doom and gloom has a way of getting under your skin and I really dont want to see any spoilers that might make me feel even worse! I've been ill this week too which is just the icing on a very horrid cake. Anyway here it is. This chapter might ruffle some feathers but fear not my pretties its all for the cause! Reviews as always are welcome and received as eagerly as Christmas Dinner at my house. Just picture an animal carcass picked clean by ravenous dogs! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except this version of events. All characters from The Walking Dead belong to their rightful owner. Not me. Aherm.**

Chapter 5

Carol leaned against the cold concrete wall outside C block and sighed in sweet relief as it calmed her burning skin. Her head was light and standing was still more of a challenge than it should have been, but she managed the few seconds herself until Daryl returned. He handed her a cup of water and she gulped it desperately.

"Thanks," she rasped, short of breath.

"Feel better?" Daryl looked her up and down, concern written on his face.

"Didn't realise I was so tipsy."

"Pfft, tipsy left the building hours ago."

Carol giggled half heartedly and swayed dangerously again.

"Here," Daryl motioned towards one of the benches still outside. "Sit."

Carol leaned on him as he guided her gently to the bench and slid in beside her. She leaned into him, nestling her head into his shoulder and closed her eyes for a moment. She felt him tense slightly but he didn't move her. He smelt like orange shower gel and his own scent, and she breathed deeply. Just being this near to him, his scent filling her nose, instantly comforted her.

"Thank you," Carol murmured.

"For what?"

"For being here. For taking care of me when I get pissed as a newt."

"I didn't do nothin' the others wouldn'ta done," Daryl protested.

"I know, but I'm glad it's you sitting next to me." Carol said softly.

Daryl looked at her from behind strands of long dark hair, her statement catching him off guard. She lifted her head from his shoulder and leaned in, her lips catching his desperately. She felt him recoil and looked back at him, surprised.

"Whoa! What the hell?"

Carol froze and tried to form a response. "What's wrong?"

"Why'd you do that?"

"Why'd you think?" she leaned in again.

"You're drunk, stop." Daryl pushed her away.

"I'm not drunk, I know what I'm doing," she whispered, pulling closer to him.

"Carol you don't wanna do this." Daryl gently pushed her off again.

"Why are you being like this?" she pulled back, angry. "We've been avoiding this long enough, and I'm fucking tired Daryl!"

"Avoiding what?"

"I'm tired of fighting my head and my heart! Tired of hiding from the goddamn truth! Sitting in my cell night after night wondering if tomorrow you might go out and not come back! That you-"

Tears choked her and she abruptly got up and started to stagger down the path in her bare feet. Daryl got up and ran over to her, half catching her as she tumbled.

"Leave me be!" she swatted viciously at him, her tears welling ominously.

"Come on I'll take you back!" he coaxed, hauling her to her feet. She wrenched out of his grip and swiped at her eyes with dirty hands.

"I don't need you to take me back," she snapped. "I'll be fine on my own, I always have been. I don't need you!" She tried to shove past him but he blocked her route and wouldn't budge.

"What the hell's your problem Carol?"

"You know I thought I'd made it pretty damn clear for you Daryl! I thought 'give him time and he'll figure it out himself,' but you can't even get that right!"

"What am I 'sposed ta figure out?" he grabbed at her arm as she barged past. She spun around and snapped, her eyes wild and unreadable.

"I'm in love with you Daryl!"

His hand fell and he stared at her, frozen to the spot. Rational thought deserted him as his mind tried to process the declaration and it took him all his strength to draw a breath. Had he imagined it? Her heaving chest and tear streaked face confirmed his fears. _Fuck._

"You don't know what the hell you're sayin'."

"Don't tell me I don't know, I damn well should know! In fact you're the only person that doesn't! You're too damn blind to see it!"

Daryl lowered his head. "I'm no good for you."

"You know what? It doesn't matter anymore," she hissed, tears lashing down her dirty cheeks. "I thought you were a man of honour, but you're just a damn coward! If Merle were here he'd tell you to man up and grow a pair!"

"Don't dare say his fuckin' name!" Daryl growled, his finger right in Carol's face.

Carol didn't flinch, she'd seen him angry before and her alcoholic state only galvanised her defences. She'd got his attention loud and clear.

"You're right," she scowled, her voice bitter and acidic. "You are no good, for anything. You couldn't find my Sophia, why should I have expected you to work anything else out?"

Carol glared at him, venom high in her throat, wanting to scream 'til her voice broke. She knew the damage was done already though, from the look in his eyes. His anger was dampened by the wet glimmer in his blue pools as he returned her glare.

"Yeah," he muttered, as she broke the deadlock and left him alone in the darkness.

_xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox_

"Oh Carol you didn't?" Maggie despaired. "Why?"

"I have no excuses. I was drunk but I knew what I was saying. He pushed me away and I felt rejected. I wanted to hurt him. I hate myself. Oh Maggie," Carol's voice was heavy and choked with tears, "you should've seen the look on his face. Like I'd just ripped his heart out and stamped it into the dirt."

"Daryl's a good guy," Maggie said, wrapping an arm around Carol's shoulder, "he'll forgive you. He loves you."

"I'm not so sure judging by the way he stormed off this morning," she sniffed.

"You know what he's like, he probably went off to kill a few things and clear his head. Daryl needs space when he's pissed. He'll come back, you two will talk it out."

"Talking's what got me in trouble in the first place." Carol wiped her face.

"No, drink got you in trouble… and I might have played a small part. I should never have rushed you guys. I get that now."

"You were right Maggie, I was just too stubborn to listen. Anyway, not much I can do now but wait for him to come back and face the music." Carol sighed and offered Maggie a weak smile. "Thanks."

"For what?"

"Being a friend," she clasped Maggie's hand.

"Hey, don't mention it. Now, you wanna come keep me company on watch? My husband rather overdid it last night so I'm all alone."

Carol laughed. "I thought you'd have today off, being your honeymoon and all?"

"Ha!" she chuckled. "The world ended, didn't you get the memo?"

_xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox_

He wasn't sure what made him lift his head, but when he did he noticed the warm body next to him. The retriever was lying quietly by his side. He'd snuck in undetected and just lay by Daryl's side, listening to the sniffs and forced breaths. Daryl snorted a little laugh at the stupid mutt and rubbed him behind the ear. The dog leaned into him, enjoying the attention.

"You're just a big goofball ain't ya?" Daryl sniffed. "I used to have a dog. Wasn't like you though, he was a real fleabag." Daryl wiped his wet eyes and the dog sat up and licked the salty drips from Daryl's skin.

"Where's yer family, huh?" he searched the dog's big brown eyes. "Yeah buddy, I ain't got none either. Fucked that up good didn't I?"

He ruffled the retriever's big soft ears and managed a half smile. The big dog gave him a paw and Daryl took it. "Why ya buggin' me man, I'm a screw up. I ain't good for nothin'. All I do is let people down." Daryl let his legs sprawl out in front of him and rested back on his palms.

"Can't believe I'm talkin' to a damn dog. Guess I don't have much choice. No one else gives a shit. Least, nobody that matters." The dog listened intently, tongue lolling. "She hates me man. S'ma own damn fault. She called me on it. Told me to strap a pair on and stop bein' such a pussy."

"What the hell do I do now? If she don't want me around…" He dropped his head and looked at the big heavy mutt's head now settled in his lap. "She was right ya know. Been runnin' away from it all this time. Damn near lost her once already, still too much of a pussy to tell her how I felt. I never thought… She's in a different league. What would she want with a loser like me, huh?" He played with a fuzzy ear flap and scratched the dogs head.

"I ain't ever had nobody. Nobody that believed in me, until she did. Least I thought she did." He looked at the big gentle pup with sad, glazed eyes. The dog sensed his mood and licked his hand. "If she don't believe in me… I dunno if I can believe in me. Ain't no point if I don't have her."

The retriever stood up and stretched, its thick tail fanning over its back. It padded down the deck, sniffing and nosed off into the tangle of vines and shrubs at the side.

"Hey where ya goin'?" Daryl got up and followed the dog into the vegetation. "More polite ways to let the patient know his hour's up." He swatted branches out of his eyes and sighted the dog, hauling mounds of earth and vine out with its front paws. He squinted closer and his eyes focused on a flower he knew all too well. If he'd been waiting for a sign then he wasn't going to get one more obvious. Daryl's head dropped and he knew what he had to do.

The dog sniffed and licked him as he bent down and broke one of the Cherokee Roses from the vine. He thumbed the delicate petals and paused for a moment. His pause was interrupted by an insistent wet nose pushing at his hand. "I know. Guess I gotta go back, make things right huh?" He looked at the dog, a small smile creeping into his face. "Good boy."

Daryl gathered his findings and saddled up. With the Cherokee Rose pressed safely to his chest under his jacket, he looked at the dog now happily eating his food. He felt a twinge of sadness at leaving the big lug behind but if the dog had been here this long chances were he wouldn't follow him anyway.

"See ya around goofball," Daryl called, kicking his bike into life. The dog's head jerked up and it fired off a torrent of objectionable barks at the unholy noise.

Daryl rode out into the deserted street and headed for home.

_xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox_

Carol had saw out the afternoon shift in the watch tower with Maggie then busied herself around the prison, helping Lori out with Judith and completing mundane tasks that needed doing in an effort to occupy her mind. She helped tidy up the cellblock from the party and then set to mending some clothes she'd been putting off. Her hangover had faded as the day went on, but the pooling of guilt in her stomach had only got worse since she'd remembered the horrible things she said to him. She finished one of Beth's shirts and started to sew up a gaping hole in one of her own. His face wouldn't leave her mind. He had tried to look angry but the expression he wore was one of hurt, and now in the cold reality of sobriety she knew just how badly she'd wounded him. _He's never gonna forgive you. _

Suddenly an awful thought came into her head, so awful she could barely bring herself to acknowledge it. _What if he doesn't come back? _She had only ever seen him so angry back at the farm when he'd lashed out at her and he'd pulled away from the group. He had only stayed because she made the effort to make him feel like he belonged. Now he was out there alone and worse still… _He thinks you hate him. _Carol blinked back hot tears and threw her vest top at the wall. She buried her face in her hands and cried, wishing in that moment she could turn back time.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Well we're wrapping things up now my wee cherubs! I know, I know, it's a short story but it is my first and considering the timescale of the events and the idea I really couldn't make it any longer. That and my next story is looking longer all the time, I'll be lucky to get anything else done this year! No post on Tumblr for this one so spread it about as you see fit! I'm trying to avoid spoilers like the plague *lalalalala I'm not listening*So here is the penultimate chapter. I should come clean and confess that there's no smut in this but there is a shit ton of fluffy feels so hopefully you aren't too cross with me! I can promise you though that my next story has top drawer smut in it that will hopefully blow your socks off! Anyway, sit back and snuggle into the fluff...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own TWD or any of its characters. Damn.**

Chapter 6

Daryl peered round the doorway to Carol's cell and found it empty. He hadn't expected her not to be in and looked puzzled as he stepped into the candlelit room and sat on her bed. The clothes she'd mended were sitting neatly folded in a little pile on the bed. He smiled a little as he thought about her, always taking care of everyone else, making sure everyone's clothes were fit for purpose. Even back at the camp in the early days she'd gone out of her way to make sure his and Merle's clothes were clean despite hardly knowing them, and despite the fact Merle was an ungrateful asshole. His smile faded when he noticed her top lying crumpled on the floor across from where he sat. Daryl got up and went over to pick the garment up. As he knelt he noticed the needle glinting in the dim light, dangling on its thread and realised she hadn't finished it. _She__'__s still pissed at you. _

He sat back down on the bed and let out a frustrated breath. _I gotta make this right._ He lifted the red vest top to his face, burying himself in it and took a moment to inhale her smell. Daryl decided then and there to do what he should have done in the first place. He took the needle and finished sewing up the hole in the material then folded it as neatly as a Dixon could and laid it on her pillow. When he was done he reached into his jacket and carefully pulled out the Cherokee Rose. He looked at it thoughtfully for a moment before settling it gently on top of the red bundle on her pillow.

He pushed himself off the bed and walked towards the door, turning to look back at the peace offering on her pillow before heading off to take his evening shift on watch.

_xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox_

Carol splashed some cold water on her face and wiped at her eyes. She looked at herself in the small cracked mirror in the washroom and was annoyed to find her eyes still red rimmed and blotchy from crying. _Oh get a hold of yourself. _She quickly dried her face and hands with a towel and ran her fingers through her hair. She'd need to straighten up to avoid more questions from everyone. Dinner had been uncomfortable and she'd half expected Daryl not to be there, but she was disheartened when he really didn't show. Questions of his whereabouts from Lori coupled with Maggie's sympathetic glances across the table at her just made her feel even worse and she eventually excused herself. She'd barely touched her food; her stomach was doing somersaults.

Carol gave herself a final look in the mirror before heading back to her cell. _You__'__ll have to do. _She made her way back to her cell.

Her candle was burned down nearly to nothing but there was still enough light for her to see the neatly folded red top laid out on her pillow. As she drew closer to it she saw there was something sitting on top of it. A flower. _Our flower. _She smiled through a wave of fresh tears as she picked the white flower up and cupped it in her hand, pressing the soft petals between her fingers. A tear escaped down her cheek, slipping off and falling on a white petal. Carol thumbed the globe of salty water away and swiped at her eyes with her palms. She got up and quickly made her way outside. She knew he had night watch tonight, and she wasted no more time in getting to him.

_xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox_

Daryl leaned against the cold railing in the watch tower and stared out into the night. He liked night watch, and tonight more than ever he was glad of it. He wasn't in the mood for small talk or socialising and was so relieved to be up in the tower by himself. The stars were out in their millions. He loved the fact there was no light pollution now to distort the view, and he often became lost in the swirling abyss of space. There was nobody giving him a hard time, or pestering him. It was just him and the eternal calming stillness.

He was mapping out the constellations when he heard the latch on the door as Carol pushed it up over her head. The lamp she was carrying bathed her features in golden light and he noted just how beautiful she was. He knew that already but in that moment he realised no one could ever compare to her.

"Can I come in?" she asked quietly, as if she was braced for a storm.

Daryl gave her a nod that said it was okay. He studied her warily as she entered the room and closed the door. She maintained the distance between them for now, until his eyes told her it was alright. Her eyes flitted nervously between him and the floor, not knowing what to do with her hands. She composed herself and met his gaze.

"You were gone a long time. I didn't know if you were coming back," she croaked, her voice barely a whisper. "I wouldn't have blamed you if you hadn't."

Daryl chewed on his bottom lip and glanced at her. "Almost didn't."

"I should never have said those awful awful things to you last night. You didn't deserve any of it. I can't excuse my behaviour, I was hurt that you didn't want me and I wanted to hurt you back." Her throat swelled and she tried to fight a deluge of tears. "I don't blame you if you hate me."

Daryl frowned and looked at his own restless hands. He hated seeing her upset.

"I don't hate you. S'ma own fault. You were right. I've been runnin', try'na hide from it." His eyes locked on his fingers.

"That's no excuse for the way I behaved. I never meant to hurt you Daryl," she sniffed. "You're the kindest, bravest man I've ever known and I'm sorry I forgot it." She stepped towards him, closing the gap between them a little. "I don't blame you for Sophia. You tried to move mountains for my little girl and I'll never be able to thank you enough. You helped me go on living after the biggest part of me died."

Daryl's eyes met hers and he realised she was really crying now. He felt a lump in his own throat. He closed the gap between them and wrapped his arms around her. Carol clung to him tightly and buried her face in his warm chest as he rested his chin on her head and nestled his fingers in her silver hair.

"Don't gotta thank me for nothin'," he purred into her hair. "You're the one that saved me. Just took me too damn long to admit how I felt about ya." Carol looked up at him, her cheeks streaked with tears, eyes wet and shiny. "I didn't think ya would ever want me anyway."

Carol raised a hand to his rough cheek. "How could you ever think that I wouldn't want you?"

"Guess I'm just used to it," he croaked, lifting his eyelashes to look at her. "Havin' nobody."

"Well now you do," she whispered, stroking his face with her thumb. He placed his hand over hers and growled back the tears welling in his eyes.

"Ya mean it?" he asked quietly.

Carol nodded with a smile and pressed a kiss to his mouth as fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. She slid her arms around him and buried her face in his neck. He leaned into her embrace and held her tightly, clutching her as if she might disappear.

Carol looked up at him and stroked away an errant tear from his cheek. She'd never seen him look more beautiful than he did right in that moment and her heart swelled. This shy, rough on the outside redneck was everything she could've ever wanted and looking into his warm eyes, she knew he felt the same. He gazed at her, his eyes brimming over with love for her, as he traced her bottom lip with his thumb. Carol tilted her chin at his touch and her nose brushed his as their lips touched briefly. Daryl looked at her nervously, like he had something to get off his chest.

"Remember at the wedding? Ya asked if I'd ever been in love?" Daryl's eyes moved uneasily, not knowing where to settle. .

"You don't have to say it Daryl," she cut him off.

"Well…" he butted in, meeting her eyes, "… y'know."

She pressed her forehead against his, locking her arms around his neck. "I don't need to hear you say it back to feel it. Some things don't need words."

"Guess it just took me a while to figure out." He gave her a shy half smile.

Carol gazed back at him. "It doesn't matter now. Any of it."

Daryl looked into her beautiful eyes and pulled her closer, smothering her mouth with his. His soft lips brushed hers tenderly as he wound his fingers through her hair. Carol's heart hammered on her chest and she felt her knees wobble, but it didn't matter because as always, he had her.

_xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox_

Carol stayed awake for as long as she could. They had snuggled down under Daryl's poncho and wrapped in his warmth she felt the content ebb of sleep settling in. He sat up for a while, happy enough to let her sleep against his chest. Truth be told, he didn't want to move. He could have happily stayed in the cosy bundle with her snuggled comfortably into him forever. He knew he had to though. Tired as he was, someone had to keep an eye on the horizon.

Daryl shifted gently, trying not to disturb her as he lay her down. He folded the poncho up and rested her head on it, pulling a thick fleece blanket over her body. She stirred sleepily and curled her legs up to her chest. He watched her sleep, a faint smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. She looked so content. Daryl stroked her hair and leaned down to place a feathery light kiss on her temple.

"Daryl," she purred sleepily.  
"Shh," he whispered. "Go back to sleep sweetheart."  
"I love y..." Her voice faded as sleep claimed her again.

Daryl watched her for a moment as she drifted off into a peaceful sleep. He could have watched her forever. She was perfect to him, and he couldn't resist a smile as the realisation dawned on him. _She's mine. At last._

He managed to prise himself away from her and went to keep watch. His eyes wandered a lot that night.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: We'll meet agaaaaain, don't know wheeeeeere, don't know wheeeeeeeeeen! Oh stop blubbering, you knew it had to end! I got a wee smidge emotional myself when I finished writing this as it's my baby and the first thing I've finished. I hope you enjoyed the last chapter. More of the same in this one and an additional yay moment. Sorry this final chapter is a bit shorter but I had to split the last two as it would've been too long. Plus I kinda wanted this one to stand out cause I was quite happy with how it turned out. Anyway, enjoy the final part my loves and I will hopefully have something new for you to feast your beadies on soon! x **

**OH... and the hugest of thanks to my buddy kaoscraze for all her help with this and story number 2 (which is sadly not writing itself!) and just being generally awesome!**

**Disclaimer: As much as I adore the characters of The Walking Dead, I sadly have nowt to do with them :( booo.**

Chapter 7

The dim gold of the early dawn cast an ethereal, dreamy glow over Carol's face. She stirred and sleep faded as she opened her eyes to the world. She tried to sit up and realised there was an arm curled around her waist. For the briefest moment when she woke she couldn't fathom why she wasn't in her bed. When she felt his arm and his body pressed close to her she remembered. _I didn't dream it. _ Carol smiled and stroked his warm arm. She felt him stir, pulling her in closer under the blanket. His breath tickled the nape of her neck as he kissed her skin.

"Mornin'," he said gruffly.

"Morning," she hummed, scooting round to face him. She stroked long strands of dark hair out of his eyes and pressed a smouldering kiss to his lips.

"Didn't mean'ta fall asleep," he breathed.

"You must've needed it." Carol smiled and caressed his stubbly cheek. "You've had a lot on your mind."

Daryl pulled her tight and kissed her forehead, his fingers winding into her grey wispy curls. "Yeah. M'glad it's all out now."

Carol pulled back and looked at him pensively for a moment.

"S'wrong?" He looked concerned.

"Are you nervous?" She studied his blue eyes. "I mean about us? You know... telling everyone?"

"Pfft," he smirked, "Think that ship sailed a while ago don't you?" He smiled at her.

She returned his smile and brushed his lips with hers again. Just as they were falling into the dreamy haze of passion, a faint echoing in the distance broke the spell.

"What was that?" Carol paused, not moving a muscle.

"I didn't hear-"

"Shh!" she hushed him with a finger on his mouth. "Listen."

The sound was getting closer. After a moment Daryl heard it too and they scrabbled to their feet. Carol picked up Daryl's rifle and jammed her eye up to the scope. She scanned the fence line. A few walkers shuffled outside the fence but it was otherwise quiet. Suddenly the noise was sharp and clear and she spotted a flash of gold zipping through the long grass. _Is that a dog?! _

Carol thrust the rifle at Daryl. "Look!"

He peered through the sight and let out a chuckle. "I'll be damned."

Unfortunately the barking had attracted unwanted attention and three walkers closed in on the dog. "Shit." Daryl grabbed his crossbow and bolted for the door. "Come on!"

Carol gave chase out of the tower and they sprinted down the path towards the gate. Daryl threw open both gates and put a bolt through the first walker's head. He then swung his crossbow and smashed the second in the temple. It fell with a stomach churning thud and Daryl brought his boot down on its crumbling skull. He saw the golden retriever crouched low to the ground in the long grass. The third walker was gaining ground on them and the dog let out a whimper.

"Come on boy!" he slapped his leg.

The dog hesitated and cowered down, afraid to make a move.

"Come on sweetie! It's okay, come on boy!" Carol called.

The retriever shot out of its hiding place and barrelled through the gate, leaving Daryl to smack the third walker's head clean open with his crossbow. Carol heaved the gate shut and Daryl locked it. The retriever bounded up to him and nearly sent him flying.

"Hey goofball, how ya doin' buddy?" Daryl knelt and ruffled the dogs ears. It licked his face excitedly. "Yeah I know, I know. How'd ya find me?"

"You know this dog?" Carol smiled curiously at him, amused at his affection towards the big mutt.

"Yeah," Daryl squinted up at her, a faint smile creeping in. "Could say that."

"So basically what you're saying is the dog gave you therapy?"

Carol chuckled as Daryl told her how he'd come across the dog on his run and how he'd just poured everything out to him. It made her feel bad again but seeing him so happy was enough to make her heart swell.

"Yeah, it was pretty easy. He didn't backtalk or butt in, he just listened. Then he snuck off and dug the crap out of the garden." Daryl let out a chuckle.

"Does he have a name?"

"Been callin' him Goofball," Daryl smirked.

"I mean is there a tag on his collar?" Carol sighed in mock frustration.

"Oh, dunno. Didn't think to look."

Daryl fingered the leather collar around the big dog's soft neck and gripped the bone shaped tag between his fingers. He squinted at the faint writing and made out the name. "Max."

The dog looked up in response to his name. Carol knelt in front of him, accepting big wet licks from a sandpapery tongue. Daryl unbuckled the collar.

"What're you doing?" Carol demanded, looking at him like he was mad.

"If I get a new life, so does he."

"Wait!" She grabbed his arm as he was about to launch the curled strip of leather. "He needs a collar if he's staying."

He looked at her for a moment then split the ring that attached the tag to the collar. He slid it round until it came loose. With a grunt he hurled the metal tag into the air and it disappeared with a final glint into the trees.

"So what are you gonna call him?" Carol asked as he twiddled the leather in his fingers. "He has to have a name."

"He has a name. Goofball."

Carol tutted and shook her head. "You can't call a dog Goofball."

"Well, what would you call 'im?"

"I dunno, he's so cute and dopey looking... Dopey." She looked at him and laughed. "Well, that's a good name right?"

"I guess he is a bit of a dope. Okay. Dopey it is. I still get to call 'im Goofball though. He liked me first."

"Wrong again," she grinned, pulling him close for a long kiss.

Dopey barked in objection to the public display of affection and they both chuckled at him. All the commotion had attracted the attention of the others and within minutes they were all crowded around the new addition, making a fuss.

Michonne had been the first person down and the couple's closeness hadn't gone unnoticed. As everyone cooed around the dog she leaned in to whisper in Carol's ear.

"About damn time."

Daryl watched her for a moment as she smiled, sharing the unexpected joy of something as normal and familiar as a dog. Watching her like this made him almost burst with love. She radiated beauty in the dawn light, and he couldn't remember ever feeling so utterly blessed. They'd been through so much, and it hadn't driven them apart like it should have. They'd become strong, unbreakable. Suddenly he was annoyed at himself for taking so long to man up. They had missed out on so much time together, and he vowed to make up for it every day from now on.

She turned and caught his eye, giving him the smile she saved only for him. It was only now that he noticed how different it was from any smile she gave the others. It'd taken him long enough to work it out, but now he was gonna make sure he saw her wearing it always.


End file.
